Why Flowers Are For Girls
by Tarma Hartley
Summary: Miles decides on a whim to pick up Phoenix some flowers on his way back to work... and swears that he will never buy him flowers again. Ever. This is the reason why. Based on an incident recounted in "Little Place of Forgetting," ch. 3. Teen, PxE, fluff
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: Phoenix Wright and Miles Edgeworth do not belong to me; they belong to CAPCOM. The plot, however, the florist shop staff and the angry man are mine. :^)_  
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_Based on an incident mentioned in "Little Place of Forgetting," chapter 3. Miles, on the way back to work from lunch, sees some bouquets in the window of a florist's shop down the street and decides to buy Phoenix some flowers. Little does he know what misadventures await him inside..._  
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A sweet, silly and fluffy fic. Hope you enjoy! :^)

**Thanks** to all of my readers for your reading, reviewing, favouriting and alerting! I really appreciate it very much and I hope that you will continue to enjoy my stories!

**Thank you** to Lyrical Rawr & ShadowSuzaku [past] and Midnight-hunter [present] for betaing this piece. Thank you all! :) I appreciate it a bunch! :)

**Special thanks** to my beloved husband, DezoPenguin, for his unfailing love, support, nagging (when necessary), for helping me to stay grounded during the writing process so I don't end up tearing my hair out and for suggesting the title. Love you, babe, and thanks!

As always, comments and suggestions are appreciated and welcomed! :)

Rated T, Humor/Romance, Phoenix & Edgeworth  
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It was a nice, cool fall afternoon the day that I was walking back to my office from lunch at the quaint little Italian restaurant I frequently visited. I was in a good mood since I'd just finished enjoying a fine repast that had done a great deal to repair my shattered nerves from the disaster that had been my day up until then. It had been one of _those_ days and I'd been in an absolute lather when I'd left-stormed out of, really-my office earlier that afternoon but, by the time I'd finished my meal, I felt considerably better and much _more_ human.

I smiled as I walked down the street, thoughts of Phoenix filling my mind, making for an exceptionally pleasant mental diversion.

_Wright_ _can be a handful at times_, I thought wryly, a grin playing about my mouth as I walked, a rich, low chuckle emerging from my lips. _Then again, I have_ no _doubt that he probably says the same thing about me on a regular basis._

I loved Wright dearly and I was very happy to be with him. He brought me joy I hadn't even known I was missing into my life and, now that we had been together for some time, I couldn't imagine life without him.

I watched impassively as a leaf skittered across the pavement, its manic flight driven by the wind. It was chillier than it had been when I had first arrived downtown and I pulled the corners of my collar together. Despite the cold, I was warm inside as I walked down the sidewalk and crossed the street, my head lowered against the wind.

I had walked down a block or two when I looked to my left and came face to face with a florist shop. The bouquets that were in the window were beautiful, the roses artfully arranged. Queen Anne's lace was tucked in between them, with the greenery peeking in and out from inside the bouquets with silver ribbon shot through. My breath caught as I looked at them, thinking that one of these would be the perfect thing for a surprise gift for Phoenix.

I smiled as I turned and walked back to the shop, reaching for the door handle, grasping it and pulling the door open, soft chimes sounding musically above my head as I walked in.

Warm, moist air greeted me as I entered the florist's shop, the hum and bustle of customers coming in and out, the din of voices ebbing and flowing, the sounds of the clerks rising and falling in tandem with the customers greeting me as I walked in. It was controlled chaos, the kind that I felt comfortable with. My smile brightened considerably as I looked over the different kinds of floral arrangements, trying to decide which one Phoenix would like best.

I stood there for some time, my finger lying gently on my lips, deep in thought as I debated on one form over another and wondering which one he would prefer.

"May I help you, Sir?" a soft voice behind me inquired and I jumped a little with surprise, quickly covering my discomfiture by clearing my throat hoping that she wouldn't notice the red color rising in my cheeks..

"Yes... yes, you can," I replied briskly, gesturing at the floral arrangements assembled neatly on a table in front of me. "I'd like to purchase a bouquet."

The young woman's face brightened.

"Very good, Sir!" she chirped, walking over to stand beside me. "Have you made up your mind as to which bouquet you'd like?"

I raised an eyebrow.

"Not yet," I said, looking over at the display once again, my eyes narrowing as I mentally reviewed the pros and cons of each, chuckling as I did so, thinking of what Phoenix would do if he saw me taking so long to pick out a bouquet.

_I don't think Wright really cares if it isn't perfect_, I chided myself mentally. Some things had simply become ingrained in my personality and Wright would be the first to tell me that I really needed to lighten up. _No matter which one I choose, I know that he will love it._ My lips curled into a soft, dreamy smile. _He's just that way_.

"Ummm... excuse me, Sir?" a slightly hesitant voice beside me intoned some moments later, breaking rudely into my thoughts. I turned and looked at her, annoyed at having my mental calculations interrupted.

"Can't you see that I'm busy?" I snapped, making my annoyance crystal clear in my tone and she backed away from me a few steps, her eyes as wide as saucers.

"Errr... I..." she stuttered, backing up a little further, her cheeks flushing a bright pink. My eyebrow raised slightly, my mouth turning down at the corners as I let my displeasure show not only in my tone, but in my expression as well.

The clerk became even more flustered, if that were at all possible at this point, her face turning redder as the seconds ticked by. She stood there in embarrassed silence, her hands clenched into fists at her side and I could see her eyes beginning to shine with tears.

_She must be new here_, I thought, feeling a twinge of conscience as I looked at her. _How would I be feeling were I in her situation? _I groaned inwardly._ I really_ have _to work on my patience._

To tell the truth, I _was_ feeling bad about the whole thing and was ready to apologize but, before I could even open my mouth, a large, burly male with an ugly expression on his face was making his way quickly toward us.

My eyes widened, my mouth snapping shut as my brain took in this new situation. The clerk, still sniffling softly, looked as surprised as I did, her green eyes meeting my grey, both of our faces sporting equally perplexed expressions.

The man, however, was angry; I could see this through his body language: jaw set, eyes narrowed, hands clenched into fists and quick stride with wide, heavy steps.

_Oh... damn_, I thought as the man quickly approached, feeling sweat starting to bead on my forehead. _This doesn't look good. Oh, hell._

It was soon apparent as to the reason that he was barreling over with an ugly snarl and that would have been me upbraiding the clerk for interrupting me when I was looking over the bouquets. It was a grievous error on my part since this gentleman was obviously-from my point of view-taking the young lady's side and intended to make me pay, and pay dearly, for the insult.

"Hey, you!" the man yelled as he shouldered his way in between us, the surprise in the clerk's eyes mirroring my own.

I forced myself to calm down and met the man's gaze squarely.

"Are you speaking to me, Sir?" I asked coolly though cordially, my feet planted firmly on the floor, my arms crossed defiantly over my chest.

_Let's see what you make of_ that, _you big gorilla._

He glared at me, my eyebrow quirking upward slightly.

"Yeah, I'm talkin' to you!" he growled, his index finger jabbing the air in front of me; I had to make a concerted effort _not_ to flinch. "What do you think you're doing?!"

"At the moment, Sir," I replied breezily, looking him straight in the eye, "I was merely trying to decide _which_ bouquet to purchase."

My eyes were narrowed in a hooded, predatory look that had never failed to quail even the most hardened criminals who appeared before me in court. It worked in this situation as well, the anger in the man's eyes slowly begging to recede, his steps faltering slightly. Though he was still noticeably angry, he had backed down from when he had initially approached us.

_Which is all to the good for me._

The poor clerk looked like she wanted to crawl into a hole at this point and I really couldn't blame her.

"Is there a problem with that?" I asked, bringing us back to the original point of the conversation.

The man looked sheepish, shuffling his feet uncertainly.

"Well...no, I suppose not," he said hesitantly, embarrassment plainly clear in his voice. "But... that doesn't give you the right to yell at her like that, either, you know!"

My eyebrow rose. "Really? I don't recall myself actually yelling at her. In fact-" I continued, looking levelly at him and he backed away a little further. "-I did not raise my voice to the young lady in question at all."

"No, Sir," she piped up in a faint voice. "He didn't yell at me. He just... _growled_... at me."

I looked at the man, spreading out my hands. "See? Even the young lady backs me up."

He plainly didn't like that response but there was nothing he could really do since, with the mounting evidence to the contrary, he was in the wrong and he knew it.

"But... _still_..." he began to say before I quickly cut him off.

"In fact," I put in smoothly, turning to the clerk standing quietly beside me who was doing her level best not to draw attention to herself, "I was about to apologize to her for my rather boorish behavior when you arrived."

Gratitude and relief filled the clerk as I turned to face her. "I do apologize for my actions," I said quickly, my face softening in true contrition, "and I am sorry that I was so rude. It wasn't your fault."

She blushed and accepted my apology, grateful for the escape hatch I'd given her, scurrying to the back of the shop, probably feeling like she had just narrowly escaped being verbally skinned alive; I wasn't far behind her in feeling that I also had had a narrow escape.

Once she'd disappeared into the back, I turned back to look at the bouquets once again and the man, presumably annoyed at not getting to play the gallant, left without another word. Once he had left, I sagged with relief, letting out the breath I was holding with a soft _wooshing_ sound.

_That was close_, I thought, taking out my handkerchief and mopping the sweat from my brow, folding it neatly before I pushed it far down into my pocket once I was done. _Too close!_ I took a quick look at my watch. _It's nearly one o'clock so I had best choose a bouquet and then head back to the office._ I looked at the display once again, thinking hard, before I reached out and plucked a bouquet from the shelf, the sweet scent of the roses filling the air with a beautiful perfume.

_This is perfect! He'll love it!_

Pleased that I had now found the perfect bouquet for Phoenix, I turned and quickly walked toward the front of the store, a happy smile spreading across my face._  
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	2. Chapter 2

_A/N: I do not own Phoenix Wright or Miles Edgeworth; they belong to CAPCOM. The plot, the flower shop boss and her assistant, the crowd at the flower shop and the various office personnel and their commentary are mine. :^)  
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_Miles has decided to buy some flowers for Phoenix and dropped into the local flower shop to get some. All does NOT go according to plan, however and the boss is about to make things a _bit _difficult for him...  
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Chapter 2!_ :^)_

Poor Miles... all he wants to do is just stop by and get some flowers and all he gets is grief! *sigh* And the office tittle-tattle assumes that Miles is getting some flowers for a female which, to be honest, would naturally be the_ first_ thing that _many_ would suspect to be happening! Who'd think that a man would get flowers for another man? Anyway, it seems pretty logical to me that Miles would_ definitely_ have female admirers in the Prosecutor's Office, much to his dismay! :D  
[Also, the older clerk is written for comedic effect since I have_ never_ come across someone that upfront to the point of rudeness before in my life although the snarky vegan clerk at WAL-Mart a few years back came close; I simply ignored her.]

While Miles may have originally been taken aback, and seemingly taking it on the chin by the vehemence of the boss' verbal tongue lashing, he'll pull himself back together eventually and then she'd better watch out!

"Sonny boy" taken from Margrete Zell in reference to Yuri in the_ awesome _video game, _Shadow Hearts_.

Poem, Part One: Life XCVI by Emily Dickinson (1830-1886) [Website address where it was taken from will be in my profile.]

Hope you enjoy this chapter and, as always, any comments or suggestions are welcomed and appreciated!

_**Thank you **t_o all my readers: those who have commented, read, reviewed, favourited/story alerted my stories and thanks also to those who have author alerted/favourite authored, as well! I appreciate it very much! I am glad that you are enjoying my stories and I hope that you will continue to enjoy them in the future! :)

**Thank you** to my betas, past [Lyrical Rawr & ShadowSuzaku] and present [Midnight-hunter], for all your comments and insights! I really appreciate it! :)

**EXTRA SPECIAL THANKS** to my beloved husband, DezoPenguin, for all his encouragement, love, concern, nagging [when necessary], support, advice, being my rock during the writing process so I don't end up tearing my hair out in frustration and for reigniting the fire within me to write! Love you, honey, and thanks!

Rated T, Humor/Romance, Phoenix & Edgeworth  
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I clutched the bouquet I had chosen for Phoenix-a dozen red roses, Queen Anne's lace tucked in among the flowers and shot through with beautiful silver ribbons-gently against my chest as I hurried to the cash register. I knew that as soon as Phoenix saw this he would love it and I couldn't _wait_ to give it to him! I felt like a kid in a candy store and very happy!

An older woman, dressed in a rather conservative but well tailored black skirt and jacket ensemble, iron-grey hair gathered in a tight bun at the nape of her neck, a pair of modern spectacles balanced perfectly on the bridge of her nose stood at the cash register, a wide, friendly smile on her face as I arrived, her hazel eyes sparkling with amusement.

"Good Afternoon, Sir," she chirped as she reached out for the bouquet I held, "I trust that you were able to find what you were looking for?"

I nodded without comment as she put the flowers on a side table beside the register and gestured to another woman who quickly rushed over, scooped up the flowers and carried them over to a small work station where she busied herself wrapping the bouquet in silver lamé decorated with small red hearts.

_Entirely appropriate... for Wright_, I thought appreciatively, my eyes misting slightly._ I__ know he'll love it!_ The corners of my mouth twitched in amusement as I thought of it. _In truth, he'd enjoy some flowers even if the flowers in question were nothing more than a bunch of daisies I'd picked by the side of the road and tied together with an elastic band._

It _would_ be like him, too. Phoenix's tastes were very simple and I appreciated this part of his personality immensely. He was happy with the simplest pleasures of life and, through him, I certainly gained a new appreciation for them although I did retain my expensive tastes, as well. A man can't always easily give up the pleasures he has become accustomed to in his life completely.

_I've definitely changed_, I thought wryly, a smile tugging at the corners of my mouth, _and I have Phoenix to thank for it._ I sighed in bliss and contentment. _I have so much to be thankful for and his love is definitely one of the greatest gifts I could _ever _have_ _hoped for. The flowers seem like a pittance when compared to his gift to me although I know he wouldn't see it that way... I suppose I just feel like I could do more._

I started a bit when the clerk broke into my thoughts asking cheerfully, as she rang up my purchase, if I wanted a card to go with the flowers. I thought a moment before deciding in the affirmative. She looked pleased as she showed me a selection of cards, some small and some larger; some had various verses and sentiments-such as "_Be Mine_," "_To The One I Love_," "_I Love You_," "_Forever Yours_," among other things-printed on them while others were blank; some were exquisitely designed with a wide variety of mixed colorful sprays of roses, bluebells and violets across the tops of their respective cards and others were very simple yet elegant in their simplicity.

I looked over each one carefully, turning over this one or that one in my mind, my eyes narrowing, my index finger resting against my lips as I looked over each one in turn for a few minutes before I mentally settled on a large, cream-colored blank card.

_Perfect_, I thought to myself, my lips curving upwards into a pleased smile. This _one is absolutely perfect! It's exactly what I'm looking for!_

The clerk noticed my gaze lingering on the cream-colored card for some time and smiled.

"How's this one, Sir?" she asked, reaching over and taking it out of the plastic stand to show it to me. Up close, it still retained it's attraction and I nodded.

"Perfect!" I said, a wide smile spreading across my face as I looked at it. "I would like that one, please."

"Excellent choice!" the clerk remarked sagely. "It's a very beautiful card, indeed!" She looked at me, her hazel eyes sparkling. "_She's _going to be _very _happy to get this, Sir, I'm sure of it!"

And things had been going so well up to now. I should have known that there would have been a monkeywrench tossed into the gears at some point.

My eyebrow rose slightly, my brow furrowing.

"_She_?"

The clerk looked at me for a moment. "Your girlfriend," she explained, "the one you're buying the bouquet for."

"_She_?" I repeated dumbly, my tone uncertain. "S_he_?"

_What on earth is she talking about?!_

The clerk looked even more confused than I was at this point, if that was at all possible. She bit her lip, her expression uncertain.

"Aren't you buying this for your girlfriend?" she asked, her mouth starting to turn down at the corners, her eyes beginning to narrow slightly in disapproval. "You _are_ buying this for your girlfriend or wife, _aren't_ you?" She looked expectantly at me.

"_She_?" I repeated helplessly, my face starting to turn red with embarrassment, wilting under the clerk's stern gaze. "She... _who_?"

"You sound like a broken record, sonny boy," she rejoined, both her voice and her tone were now markedly unfriendly and I had the disconcerting double vision of the clerk as an old schoolmarm standing over me, her lips pressed tightly together in anger and wagging her finger.

_Sonny boy?!_

_That_ nettled me and I drew myself up straight, my eyes narrowing. I'd show this upstart the power of the Demon Prosecutor. Reputations _can _be of some use at times and this seemed to be the perfect example of the right time to pull it out.

"My apologies," I returned tartly, flushing even redder than I was before. I didn't know exactly what it was that I'd said to have her respond like that but I didn't appreciate being taken to task like that, especially when I didn't even know why she was so upset with me in the first place.

_Women!_ I thought somewhat distantly while the clerk's eyes began to bore holes through my skull, resisting the urge to throw up my hands, _who can figure them?!_

She was plainly _not _amused by what she took to be my reticence and began to promptly inform me-in no uncertain terms, I might add-as to what she thought of both it and me.

It was damnably unfair to my way of thinking, since I wasn't even sure _why_ she was so put out with me in the first place. I had _no_ idea what I had said-or done, for that matter-to set her off like that. I didn't think it was any of her concern as to whom I was buying the flowers for but she, apparently, didn't share that same conviction. The evidence of her rising tone and her angry glares firing daggers in my direction were plain enough for all to see and to say that I was embarrassed was an understatement; if I could have found an open hole to jump into at that moment, I would have in a heartbeat.

Apparently the clerk thought that I needed a tongue lashing to go with the dirty looks and she did this marvelously well. _Too_ well for my comfort.

"You miserable, rotten cad! What do you think you're doing?!"

I looked at her, a confused expression on my face. "I don't know what-"

"You rotten skunk! You have a **LOT** of nerve tomcatting around and now you're trying to salve _your _own conscience, you blackguard!"

My mouth dropped open in surprise at this latest verbal volley momentarily before snapping shut again, my eyes narrowed in confusion and embarrassment_. Skunk? Tomcatting? Blackguard? What on earth is she talking about?!_

"I hope that she throws this in your face, you jerk! Or stuffs it down your throat!"

I was beginning to get the idea that the clerk was in the grip of a _very_ large misunderstanding which would go a long way to explaining why she was suddenly so hostile. And why she kept insisting on a '_she_' when there wasn't one.

"I think that you have the wrong idea," I said reasonably, keeping my voice as calm as possible, "I'm not-"

I _had_ hoped that it would have defused her temper but, as I soon found out, that had been _too _much to hope for. If anything, she looked angrier _now_ than she had been before.

"You're all alike! You think that, with your pretty face, you can do whatever you want and then think that all you have to do is buy flowers to make up for it, you miserable wretch!"

_Pretty... face...?!_

"But-" I tried weakly to explain but she had the bit in her teeth and was off again.

"You stinking, dirty rotten scoundrel! Why, I oughtta take you outside and show you some manners! You two-timing creep! I hope she shoves them down your throat, thorns side down!"

As I stood at the register with the clerk's increasingly hostile looks making me feel like a pincushion, customers and people entering the store from the outside were remarking about hearing a loud commotion coming from inside the store and had come in to see what was happening.

I groaned, putting my face in my hands.

_Terrific. Just what I _didn't _need—an audience!_

"You're pretty low, you know that?!"

As if I wasn't embarrassed enough already, I could hear the patrons giggling and snickering behind me which made me feel even worse. I found myself wishing that I was anywhere but here at this particular moment and who could really blame me for feeling that way? My face felt like it was on fire, it was so hot, and I had no doubt that I probably looked like a cooked lobster at this point.

I found myself wishing that the ground would open up underneath my feet and swallow me since the clerk was attracting too much attention from other people who pressed in to catch the next verbal blast. They didn't have to wait long.

"I _don't_ know what it is with you young people today but, in_ my_ day, fidelity meant something!"

I closed my eyes as a new wave of red raced across my face, wishing that the woman would just get to the point and shut up!

"How dare you play around and then buy flowers to soothe your miserable conscience!"

_I don't know why she's so mad at me_, I thought somewhat petulantly as she continued to harangue me in a steadily rising voice that grew louder and shriller by the moment, _all I wanted to do was to stop by and get Phoenix some flowers! I didn't ask for _this_!_

"You damned men are all alike!" the clerk huffed, banging out numbers on the cash register, her eyes shooting off hazel sparks. "You think you can dip your wick wherever you want and we women just have to turn a blind eye to it! Well, let me tell you something, sonny—we **DON'T **and you can go straight to hell for all I care!"

It was the last volley that _really_ settled it for me. There was a crowd of people ringing in a semi-circle around us and I was beginning to feel like we were a side-show at the circus. Some people were openly pointing and laughing, some poking each other in the ribs and waggling their eyebrows suggestively.

"I beg your pardon?" I asked, a hint of ice sliding into my voice.

"You heard what I said, sonny!" she retorted and that disconcerting double image of her and the schoolmarm returned.

_This is ridiculous!_ I thought heatedly, my pale skin turning even paler as the lecture went on. For some reason I couldn't comprehend, I tried to justify myself in my own mind. _All I came to do was to buy Wright some flowers, not get abuse! And, for that matter, I don't even know why she's so angry at me or even what I said or did in the first place to set her off!_

"Miserable excuse for a human being," the clerk went on, the crowd behind me pressing in even closer until I could, quite literally, feel someone breathing down my neck, "damn your pretty face! You flutter and expect women to fall for it which, unfortunately, they do! _All_ looks and _no_ brains..."

I was quivering with barely concealed rage and, when she stopped to take a breath, I leaned over the counter. Before she had a chance to say anything, I interrupted her.

"That's _quite _enough, my good lady," I said coldly, giving her a piercing glare that went all the way to her marrow and she backed off a little, here eyes opening wide with surprise. "I've had my fill of this nonsense and I'm putting a stop to it right now. While I don't know exactly_ why_ you're upset or even _what _it was that I said or did to upset you in the first place, I've taken all I'm going to take." I leaned forward, my piercing grey eyes locking onto her hazel ones, my mouth pressed into a tight, grim line. "If you don't shut your mouth right now, I will cancel my order, walk out that door and consider myself lucky in having done so!" I stared at her for a few minutes before leaning back, my arms crossed over my chest. "Not only that but I _will_ spread the word about the way I was treated here-by _you_-and I'll _personally_ make sure that _you'll_ be out of a job within a week! Do I make myself perfectly clear?"

The clerk's mouth snapped shut in that instant, spots of color appearing on her pale cheeks as she nodded. A deathly silence filled the the store, the only sounds being the uncertain shuffling of the ring of people behind me as they jostled and jockeyed for a spot closer to the cash register. There were also some coughing and some sporadic snickers and giggling which were quickly suppressed when I turned around and glared at them.

Once quiet had resumed, I turned back to face the silent but still thoroughly belligerent clerk. I could see the embarrassed expression on her assistant's face as she stood quietly behind her, the bouquet I'd purchased held in her arms.

_Let her chew on that for a few minutes! _I thought triumphantly though not a flicker of emotion crossed my face as I stood there. _She's damned lucky that I just didn't cancel my order and walk out! Someone else certainly would have long before this!_

"Have I made my position perfectly clear?"

The clerk nodded, swallowing hard. "Yes, Sir," she said quietly, "perfectly."

I nodded with satisfaction.

"Now, my good woman," I said tersely, breaking the unbearable silence after some time had passed and I could all but hear the ring of people behind me straining to catch the next volley, "if you would be so kind as to inscribe the card you're currently holding with what I would like out on it, I would be v_ery grateful." _

I made sure to emphasize "_very_" and "_grateful_," giving her a hard look as I did so, as if I were daring her to add another piece of commentary. She didn't.

Her face flushed brick red as she murmured, "Y-yes, Sir... Of course..." in a thoroughly cowed tone, reaching for the calligraphy pen that lay next to the card stand. "What would you like to put on it?"

_Much better_.

I looked at her for a few moments in silence before I replied, reaching into my jacket pocket, taking out a cream-colored piece of folded parchment paper and handing it to her. "I would like what is written inside this piece of paper inscribed on it, please."

She took the piece of folded parchment paper and opened it gingerly, as if she were expecting it to bite her. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes but I kept my thoughts to myself as I watched her read, her eyes quickly scanning my written words, her brow wrinkling in concentration. A few moments later, her face drained of color, leaving her skin a pasty, sickly white with prominent red blotches in the middle that made her look like a demented clown.

I resisted the urge to groan and chose instead to look up at the ceiling, mentally counting to seventy. _Five _times._ What now?!_

My gaze traveled down from the ceiling and settled on the flustered clerk, my eyebrow raising but I made no comment as she struggled to regain her composure. I could see her assistant rolling her eyes behind her back and giving me a sympathetic look. I sighed inwardly, the crowd behind me surging forward slightly before retreating to a safe distance when I turned and shot them a killing glare over my shoulder.

"I... this... this is..." she spluttered, her hand trembling slightly, her eyes creased with confusion. "What... is _this_, exactly?"

"It's a poem," I replied acidly, crossing my arms over my chest. ""Is there anything wrong with it?"

"No... no..." she quickly responded, picking up the calligraphy pen, flushing noticeably. I also noticed the hand that held the pen shake slightly. "It's just... so... so..." She stopped, gesturing with her free hand helplessly.

"So... what?" I asked, genuinely curious as to the reason for her reaction. "Outdated? Pure Victorian clap trap? Outmoded and ridiculous sentiment? Pure, unadulterated garbage?"

"_Morbid_ was the word I was looking for," she replied, shuddering slightly. She took another look at it and read out loud:

"**My life closed twice before its close-****  
It yet remains to see****  
If Immortality unveil  
A third event to me.  
So huge, so hopeless to conceive**  
**As these that twice befell. Parting is all we know of heaven,  
And all we need of hell.**"

I looked at her with some surprise. "Really? I find it charming, to tell you the truth, and beautiful in it's simplicity. I find it quite curious, indeed, that you would call it _morbid._" I had a dreamy look on my face as I said it, a faraway look in my eyes, thoughts of Phoenix rushing into my mind.

The clerk looked disgustedly at me, muttering some choice words under her breath about "_young adults these days and their weird ideas about romance_" sprinkled liberally with "_whoever thinks that a poem about death is romantic needs to have their head examined!_" among a few other things that I couldn't quite catch. Perhaps it was better that I hadn't.

I sighed and shook my head, drawing titters from her assistant which were quickly muffled as the clerk shot her a choice look. Unrepentant, the assistant laid the wrapped bouquet on the counter and made a face at her before disappearing into the back where loud bursts of laughter were heard, much to her boss' chagrin.

I chuckled softly, sending up silent thanks for the assitant clerk.

_Touché_, I thought in satisfaction while the older clerk stewed, her lips pressed together angrily, _Touché_.

I had to admit that I felt much better in that instant than I had for the past ten minutes and it was nice to see some justice in my favor for a change. I stood quietly as the clerk copied down the poem on the card, her mouth twisting into sour grimaces of distaste interrupted only by the sound of laughter in the back room; apparently, her assistant was enjoying needling her boss a little. I couldn't really blame her.

I was having a hard time keeping a straight face myself so I made a point of clearing my throat loudly whenever I felt like I was going to burst out laughing. After the eleven minute lecture earlier, which I was still having trouble trying to figure out, I didn't want to annoy her again so I dedicated a massive amount of attention to the cluster of Marguerites arranged on a circular table to the right of the back room, coughing politely.

At last, she finished the poem and, with little enthusiasm, put it in the envelope, sealed it and placed it on the bouquet. She didn't say a word while she ran my credit card through the machine, tore off the slip and handed it to me, along with a pen. I signed the receipt and handed back to her, keeping the yellow copy for myself.

She handed me the bouquet with the card attached and I took it from her, acknowledging her with a bow of my head.

"Thank you, Sir," she said cheerlessly, forcing a smile onto her face, "come again soon."

_Not bloody likely_, I thought grimly but I slapped a similar smile on my own face and answered her graciously, "You're welcome and have a good day," completely ignoring the latter half of her sentence as I turned and walked out the door, the silent crowd parting as I passed by.

As soon as I had exited the building, I could hear whoops, hollers and gales of laughter pouring through the open window of the shop and I belatedly wondered why.

_I wonder what was so amusing..._

I let out the breath that I had been holding as the door to the flower shop closed behind me, letting it out with a loud whoosh. On the whole, the experience, with the exception of the first half, hadn't been all that bad and I was happy that I was able to get the flowers I wanted for Phoenix.

I had a spring in my step as I walked back to the Prosecutor's Office, humming a happy tune as I rode the elevator to the 12th floor where my office was located. I stepped off the elevator with a wide smile on my face, much to the surprise of some of my colleagues who I could hear whispering to each other as I passed by.

"_What's with Mr. Edgeworth today? He's never in _that _good_ _a mood!_"

"_I wonder who are the flowers for?" _

"_It's probably for his secretary or something although he hasn't given _her _flowers in all the time that _I've_ been here..." _

"_Whoever the bouquet is for, they're lucky!" _

"_I wish Mr. Edgeworth would give_ me _flowers..." _

"_Do you think he's sick and needs to see a doctor? I've never seen him like this before. It's_ not _natural!"_

"_He _must _have caught that bug that's been going around the office these past two weeks. That's the _only_ logical explanation I can think of. If I hadn't seen it myself, I wouldn't have believed it was possible!" _

"_Mr. Edgeworth's _SO _dreamy!"_

"_We'd make a perfect couple, he and I..." _

"_Forget it, Sue. You _aren't _his type, believe me!"_

"_I wish _I _was his cravat..."_

"_Are you kidding?! Mr. Edgeworth... bringing flowers?! Wow! I wonder who the lucky lady is...?"_

"_Whoever it is, she's one lucky lady. _I've_ been trying to get _him _to notice _me _for _ages_ and it _never_ worked! I wonder how she did it?"_

I smirked as I marched down the hall to my office, strutting like a peacock in it's prime, whistling a merry tune as I unlocked the door to my office and opened it, careful not to catch the bouquet in the door or crease it, and walked in with my head held high.

I could hear curious co-workers huddling around the open door and whispering to themselves but I paid them no mind as I set the bouquet on the top of my desk, walked over to the phone and picked it up. As I did so, I looked over in the direction of the door and said, in a voice that brooked no argument and was loud enough to carry to the pairs of inquisitive ears, "Do you mind? I'm about to make a call and I'd appreciate it if you'd clear out or I'll find some work for the lot of you to do since you seem to have a little too much time on your hands to eavesdrop!"

I waited for a moment until the gasps and scurrying away sounds ceased and, with a smirk, picked up the receiver and quickly dialed a number. I hummed softly while I waited for the person on the other end of the line pick up and a wide smile broke out on my face when, at last, I heard the person I was waiting to hear.

"Wright and Co. Law Office," I heard him say, "Phoenix Wright speaking."

"Hello, Phoenix," I said, my voice sounding a little shy and I flushed.

"Miles!" he said, his voice filled with pleasure, "it's wonderful to hear from you! How are you?"

"I'm fine," I replied, "just busy with work these days." I heard Phoenix murmur in agreement. "And you?"

"The same," he said with a hint of chagrin in his voice, "and I'll be busy until the end of the week with the new case I'm working on."

I mentally went over a list of cases that had appeared on my desk in the past few weeks, wondering which one it was that he was defense counsel for.

"The De Vere case?" I asked and I was rewarded with a murmur of agreement. "Ah, yes; that one. How's it going?"

"Fine but it could be better. I'm having trouble with some witness testimony that contradicts _all _the evidence we've gathered so far." I heard him sigh in exasperation and felt a surge of sympathy for him.

One of the most aggravating things about witness testimony is how widely they can vary; even with ten people witnessing the same event, you'll get ten different stories as to what happened which makes it wholly unreliable and has the end result of destroying innocent lives. I tried to avoid it if I possibly could but, when it was all you had, you were stuck.

"I'm sorry to hear that, Phoenix," I said comfortingly, "if there's anything I can do to help then don't hesitate to let me know. I'd be happy to help you in any way that I can within reason, of course."

I could all but see him smile on the other end.

"Of course and thank you, Miles. I'll keep that in mind." I heard some scuffling sounds in the background and heard someone blurt out, "_Are you talking with Mr. Edgeworth? Tell him I said hello!_"

I chuckled. "Give my regards to Ms. Fey as well."

"Will do!" Phoenix said cheerfully and he promptly did so. There were some more scuffling sounds in the background and some muffled voices that seemed to be getting further away, the opening and shutting of a door and then silence.

Phoenix's voice came back on the line. "There. Now she has something to do for a few hours rather than hang around here and eavesdrop on my phone conversations." He chuckled tiredly. "Ah, well. It is the way of youth, after all."

"Indeed," I agreed, basking in the warmth that resonated over the phone, enjoying the presence of my beloved, "I've had trouble with some eavesdroppers over at the office, myself, so I can fully sympathize with you there." My eyebrow lifted as I heard some soft sounds coming from behind me. "Excuse me a moment, please, Phoenix. I think we _still _have a few ears listening in." I put my hand over the mouth of the receiver, turning my head to face the door. "And there will be several job openings in the near future if people** DON'T GET BACK TO WORK RIGHT NOW**!"

The din coming from the direction of the door as feet scurried to get away as fast as they possibly could was quite satisfying and I waited until silence had returned once more before turning back to the phone. I took my hand from the mouth and lifted the phone back to my ear, a satisfied smile spreading over my face.

"Sorry about that, Phoenix," I said with some exasperation, rolling my eyes toward the ceiling, "people seem to be uncommonly interested in my activities today for some reason."

"Face it, Miles, you're an interesting person."

I snorted. "Hardly." I looked down at the bouquet lying on top of my desk and smiled before returning my gaze to the window. "They just don't have enough to keep them busy during the day. I shall have to remedy this oversight."

Phoenix laughed, his mirth traveling easily over the telephone line.

"I'm sure that they would be most appreciative of_ that_, Miles," he said facetiously while I made a face at the window, "but, as you say, it would _definitely_ cure them of their curiosity." He was silent for a moment before he spoke again and, when he did, his tone was enticing and sweet. "I've missed you these past few days, Miles. I really _can't_ wait to see you again..."

I felt a thrill run through me from my head to my feet. "I've... _missed_ you, too, Phoenix. And, speaking of which"-I looked at my watch- "do you have a few minutes free presently?"

He seemed surprised by the question. "Yes...I think I do. Let me check." I heard the sound of paper rustling for a few moments before he came back to the phone. "It looks like I do have about forty-five minutes free at the present. Why do you ask?"

I fidgeted slightly but inwardly urged myself to patience, trying to quell the excitement I could feel rising in me. "Well, I have some free time myself for the afternoon and I would love it if you could drop by so I can... see you." I wondered why I could feel my cheeks burning with embarrassment but quickly shuffled off the feeling as being irrelevant to the present situation and hoped that I didn't come off sounding like a lovestruck idiot.

Phoenix was silent for a few moments and, when he finally spoke again, his voice was liberally laced with happiness and longing. "I... would like to do so very much, Miles," he replied slowly and I could all but see his sweet face blushing with pleasure, "I'll be there in a few minutes." He stopped a moment, taking a deep breath, his voice sounding shy. "I'm-I'm really looking forward to seeing you, again, Miles... I.. I've... _missed _you..."

I felt my face burning but a pleased smile spread across my face just the same. "I... I've _missed_ you, too, Phoenix..." I said quietly, "and I_ can't _wait to see you."

"Me, either. See you soon, Miles! Love you!"

"See you soon, Phoenix and I love you, too."

The line went dead shortly after and I replaced the phone back in its cradle carefully, stood in silence for a few moments and then turned toward my desk looking down once more at the beautiful bouquet that lay on top of my desk.

_He's going to love it!_

"See you soon, Phoenix," I murmured quietly, my voice imbued with speechless wonder and respect, love surging in my heart as my fingertips slowly traveled over the neck of the telephone receiver, "see you soon..."


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N: I do not own Phoenix Wright or Miles Edgeworth; CAPCOM does. The plot and the commentary of various of Miles' co-worker's are mine. :^)_

_Miles is happy that Phoenix has come to see him and prepares to give him the flowers he bought for him on the way back to work. Things _still _don't go as planned and an embarrassed Miles swears he will never buy him flowers again. Ever!  
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The last chapter! :^) Miles is just being grouchy since he's embarrassed and all! :D

Happy April 1st! :^) I hope that you enjoyed the story and I hope that everyone has a great Easter! :^) Thanks for reading! :^)

**Thanks** to all of my readers for your reading, reviewing, favouriting and alerting! I really appreciate it very much and I hope that you will continue to enjoy my stories!

**Thank you** to Midnight-hunter for beta-reading this chapter. Thank you! I appreciate it a bunch! :)

**Special thanks** to my beloved husband, DezoPenguin, for his unfailing love, support, nagging (when necessary), for helping me to stay grounded during the writing process so I don't end up tearing my hair out and for suggesting the title. Love you, babe, and thanks!

As always, comments and suggestions are appreciated and welcomed! :)

Rated T, Humor/Romance, Phoenix & Edgeworth  
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My heart was beating double time when I heard Phoenix's voice in the hallway leading to my office, my palms sweaty and shaky, and feeling incredibly nervous much like a young man would on his first date. Which was ridiculous since we had been together for over six months and I _should_ have gotten over any relatively minor nervousness by now but I felt like I was going to faint, I felt so dizzy and lightheaded.

A crooked grin spread over my face as I remembered an old joke about children's views on how they would know if they were in love I'd heard when I was a child.

W_right has that effect on me and has ever since we first became a couple, _I thought cheekily, repressing the urge to chuckle out loud and failing miserably,_ either that or I'm coming down with a bad case of the flu._

I laughed heartily just as Phoenix stuck his head through the door, grinning like a Cheshire Cat as I waved him in, smiling broadly. He walked in and immediately wrapped his arms around me once he reached me, pressing his lips hungrily to mine. I responded eagerly, holding him close, marveling in just _how _alive he always made me feel.

It was clear how much we missed each other from the hungry, eagerness and desire of our embrace, our mouths devouring each other as if we were starving men gulping down our first meal in a long time. I felt as giddy as a schoolboy as we embraced, deepening the kiss, muffled moans emerging from both of us.

My hands wandered freely around his back as I relished the sensation of touching him again, something that I had missed dreadfully in the months we'd been apart and _hadn't_ been able to see each other. He felt the same way I did and my heart soared as his hands did a _thorough_ exploration of my clothed back while I shivered with undeniable enjoyment.

"God, Phoenix," I murmured against his lips as my tongue demanded entrance into his sweet mouth, slipping in when he moaned with pleasure, our tongues dancing together before they parted and mine pulled back and then returned to lick his sweet lips, "I've _missed _you _so_ much!"

"So have I," he whispered back feverishly, kissing me back with equal passion, "oh, God, Miles, I've _missed _you!" We were coming dangerously close to the point of no return and it was with great reluctance that Phoenix finally stepped back a little although his arms were still wrapped around me, with a wink, a smile and an adorably flushed face.

"We _can't_ do this here, Miles... someone may catch us." He chuckled.

I laughed before pulling him against me again, giving him another kiss and holding him close, basking in the warmth and love that resonated between us.

"I wouldn't care even if they did," I replied with conviction, raising an eyebrow while Phoenix snickered. And I meant it, too. I hadn't seen my beloved for a very long time due to irregular work schedules that kept clashing with each other and I was very glad, at this moment, that he was able to spare some time to spend with me.

I closed my eyes and sighed in contentment as I felt Phoenix rest his head on my shoulder; we stood in silence for a long time, just enjoying each other's presence and I reflected again just how lucky I was to have him.

So lost was I in the feeling that I didn't notice that there was a crowd gathering at the half-open door, many pairs of curious eyes peeking in with half-smothered exclamations that sounded exceptionally loud in the silence. I thought that I had heard some noises around the door but, as I couldn't really see anything from where I was standing, I didn't give it a second thought.

I didn't notice anything out of the ordinary and wouldn't have cared less even if I had at this point since I was so happy to be with Phoenix again. I'd _really_ missed him this past few months and it was pure bliss just holding him again in my arms.

_I've missed this... and him! _

We stood wrapped in each other's arms for some time, his head lying on my shoulder with my chin resting on the top of his head. I closed my eyes, enjoying the wonderful sensation of holding my lover in my arms once again after we'd been apart for so long.

"Phoenix?" I nuzzled the side of his head gently with my nose.

"Mmmm?" The sweet exhalation of his warm breath on my neck made me shiver with pleasure.

"I have a surprise for you."

He pulled back a little and looked at me, his face wreathed in a brilliant smile that very nearly took my breath away, his blue eyes sparkling.

_Just like when we were children... _I thought nostalgically. _He hasn't changed a bit._

"Really?" He looked very happy and excited and I felt my heart again take wing for the third time that day. I couldn't wait to give him his gift and I was shaking with excitement at the prospect. "For.. me?"

I nodded.

"Close your eyes," I whispered tenderly, half-turning to reach behind me and slowly wrapped my fingers around the base of the bouquet, taking care not to make any more noise than I had to since the lame covering tended to crackle a little as I lifted it up and brought it over to my chest.

I knew that it sounded rather childish but I didn't care. My heart was pounding in my chest as I held the wrapped flowers and I felt dizzy at the surge of excitement that ran through me from head to foot. I couldn't remember being this excited before when giving a gift and it was definitely something new for me, marveling again at the powerful surge of emotion.

I waited a few moments until the shaking in my hands subsiuded and then brought his hands forward in front of him with my free hand. I lay the bouquet across his hands and his fingers tightened instinctively around the base; I saw his brow furrow a little with the crinkling the lame paper made and the puzzled expresison on his face as he held it.

The expression on his face made me feel good; it truly _would _be a surprise.

_Good! He doesn't quite know what to make of it or what it is but I can see him thinking about it! _

I smiled broadly as I said, "You can open your eyes now."

Phoenix's expression, once he'd opened his eyes and saw the beautifully wrapped bouquet of red roses he held in his hands, was one of complete surprise and pure joy at the gift.

"Miles..." he began, swallowing a few times and clearing his throat, his eyes misting, "I...I don't know what to... to... _say._.."

"Do you like it?" I asked anxiously, though I needn't have worried since his shining eyes told me how he felt and I let out a mental sigh of relief. Still, it was nice to hear it, just the same and I waited for the enthusiastic response I knew was building up. I didn't have long to wait.

"Of course I do! Thank you!" He looked at me, tears welling in his eyes, his face wreathed in pure happiness at the unexpected gift. "Thank you so much, Miles! Thank you!"

"You're wel-" I started to say but was cut off as Phoenix surged forward and planted such a passionate kiss that he nearly knocked me over. I was forced to scrabble behind me, grabbing a chair and literally falling into it with Phoenix following and falling onto my lap, our lips still glued together.

Once we were both stable, he kissed me again and sat back, his joyful exclamations and "thank you's" echoing throughout my office and, I swore, the entire building. I tried to hush him a little or ask him to at least tone his voice level down but he ignored me, leaning forward and planting multiple kisses on my lips, his cries of joy at my gift seeming to reverberate through my office and through the door.

It was at this point that I _definitely _heard some muffled noises coming from the direction of the door and I turned quickly, my face burning as I saw, when I leaned over and yanked the door wide open to see at least a dozen people, men and women alike, clustered around the door with some in the forefront tumbling into my office.

Some had shocked expressions on their faces, some were giggling and others were openly pointing and laughing while I looked on, a grouchy expression crossing my face while my lover sat on my lap, a foolish smile plastered across his face, clutching a bouquet of a dozen red roses in his hand that lay draped over his lap.

"Don't any of you have _something _you need to be doing?" I asked sourly, my eyes narrowing in an angry glare. Phoenix snickered as he watched those who had tumbled to the floor quickly scramble up, brush themselves off and exit as quickly as they could, nearly stumbling over themselves and others that were still clustered around the door in their haste to leave.

I threw an ugly look at the rest of the people crowded around the door before I slammed it pointedly shut, crossing my arms over my chest, an angry pout on my face as I turned to glare at Phoenix who was still sitting on my lap. He had that infuriatingly foolish smile still plastered on his face, his free hand scratching the back of his neck sheepishly, his cheeks a light shade of pink.

_He _should _look sheepish since this is_ _all_ his_ fault!_

"This is all _your _fault," I accused, my index finger tapping against the inside of my arm, giving him a pointed stare and felt a keen sense of chagrin when he giggled in response, "if _you _wouldn't have raised _your_ voice this would _never_ have happened!"

Phoenix swallowed his laughter and tried to look contrite but I could tell he didn't feel sorry at all by the merriment twinkling in his blue eyes and, I must admit, this _really _nettled me.

"Now _everyone _knows that we're lovers," I groused, my eyes narrowing into evil, little slits, my mouth twisted sourly, "this is all _your_ fault!"

He chuckled as he leaned forward, pressing his lips against mine again n, after we parted and he leaned back, I could see that extremely irritating "Who, Me?" innocent look spreading across his face. With a disgusted murmur, I looked up at the ceiling, shaking my head and gritting my teeth.

"So what?" he whispered lazily, the tip of his nose nuzzling mine tenderly. "It was bound to come out sooner or later so who cares in what manner it was done?" His voice lowered and he leaned over, his lips brushing against the shell of my ear and I shivered despite myself. "I don't care if they know or not; I love you, Miles Edgeworth, and I'm not ashamed to tell the whole world that I do!"

He gave me a quick buss on the mouth, his blue eyes twinkling with merriment. "Really, _does _it matter that people know?"

I sighed and shook my head.

_Now that I think about it, it really doesn't matter in the slightest._

"No," I grumbled, "it _doesn't_." I _hated_ it when he was right!

"Then I don't worry about it and just enjoy it."

I still wasn't convinced. "I suppose so..."

"Besides," he said, leaning over and nuzzling my neck, "we _still_ have forty-five minutes to kill and I can't think of a _better_ way to spend it than snuggling with you." He smiled that dazzling-and _really_ irritatingly arousing-smile while I looked back at him, various emotions warring on my face. "Can you?"

I shook my head and a chuckle bubbled up from my lips before I could stop it; Phoenix had a smug look on his face and that, I admit, did irritate me a little but, when I thought about it, it really _wasn't_ worth getting angry over.

After all, I _wasn't_ ashamed of the love I had for Phoenix and, if other people looked askance at us because of it, then that was _their _problem, not _ours_. We loved each other and nothing, and no one, was going to get in the way of that so in the end, as much as I hated to admit it, Phoenix _was_ right. Who cared?

_Damn him anyway..._

Phoenix took one look at my sour face and laughed before he kissed me again, doing a long and thorough job of it, taking care not to crush the bouquet between us.

"I love you, Miles," he whispered against my mouth and I could feel the light touch of his eyelashes brushing gently against my cheek as he moved his mouth on mine.

"I love you, too, Phoenix," I replied when he pulled back to take a breath and I meant it with all of my heart... even though I swore, right then and there, that_ this_ would be the_ last _time I would get him flowers and have him come to my office to present them to him. _Ever!_

_Oh well,_ I thought resignedly as I pulled his mouth down to mine once again and feeling him smile against my lips, his arms tightening around me, _at least _he _enjoyed them..._


End file.
